Improved refrigerator-car



UNITED STATES PATENTOFFIGE.

LE GRAND KNIFFEN, oF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS..

IMPRovED REI-"al(3i-:RAT'0R-CAR.

Specicatiou formn g part of Letters Patent No. 69,223, dated September24, 1867.

"of this specification, aud'in which Figure l represents al view inperspective of the body of an ordinary freight-'car to which myinvention has been adapted. Fig. 2 represents, a longitudinal verticalsection, and

Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section through the same. A l

It is the object oi'my invention to produce a.

refrigerator-car in which fresh meats and other perishable articles cansafely `be transported to distant markets; and to this end the inventionherein claimed consists, first,in a car lined with a material which is abad condnctorotheat, andV containing a refrigerating apparatus ormaterial tomaintain a low temperature; second, in lining an ordinary boxfreight-car with some tibrous or textile material which will resist the`.transmission of heat; third, in converting an ordinary freight-carinto a refrigerator by 1ining itwithsnccessive layers of paper; fourth,

iin lining a box-ear with removable sections of mon-,conductingmaterials; fifth, in lining a irefrigerator-car with a yielding o relast-ic ma- ;rial which is Yalso a bad conductor of heat; sixth, inarranging both the articles to bel transported and the refrigeratingmaterial within the same non-conducting lining or envelope;seventh, inarranging a hinged door in the lining opposite the doors of thecar;eighth, in so arranging removable ice-racks that they will be supportedby the-sections nearest the door; ninth, in combining with arefrigerator-car a removable 'ice-rack; tenth, in combining with arefrigerator-car a refri gerating apparatus for producing` cold withoutthe use of icc; eleventh, in placing quicklime or other absorbent' ofmoisture within the car to produce a dry atmosphere; twelfth, inarranging props around the car to support a series of top beams, whichcan be moved toward or from eachother to accommodate different sizedcarcasses to be Suspended from them;

thirteenth, in arranging movable swiveling hooks on the cross-beams.

In the accompanying drawings, which show one convenient mode of carryingout my invention, an ordinary freight box-ear, A, which may beconstructed either of wood or iron, is shown as lined with a fibrous ortextile material, B, which is a bad conductor dtheat.

This lining, in this instance, iscomposed of several thicknesses ofpasteboard covered at their edges; or places of abutment with wool enor. felt cloth, moreetlectu'ally toexclude the air, and forming sectionsmade tofit the .interior of the car, and united by hooks C and stapleson the inside ofthe car7 or some other '.fastening which will permitthem readily to be separated. The lining may be'glazed or varnished, it'desired, to resist moisture and prevent it from acquiring the odor ofthe ar- .ticles transported., The oonsections are' first laid down andthe side sections erected upon them. The end sections are arrangedbetween the side sections, and these latter are provided with props D,upon which cross-beams E rest. These beams not only keep the sidesections in place, but are laid loosely on t-he props, so that thedistance between them may be varied. Swiveling esh-hooks t' aresuspended from these beamsby rectangular hooks 1,

which embrace the sides and top of the beam and can be moved endwise onit.r As the distance between' the beams can be varied b y sliding themon their props or stringers, and as the hooks can vbe moved toward o rfrom each other ou their beams, it will be seen that they can readily beadapted to the conveyance of carcasses of different sizes. The' topsections rest upon the side sections and on top thebeam E. In thesection which would come opposite each door ot' the car I make a door,I, which I prefer to open outward on hinges,

as this arrangement is less complicated andv more convenient than asliding door in the lining would be. Racks F are arranged on the innerside of cach door-section to receive cross-bars to support the icc`tocool thc'car. The ice may" be placed within a box or vessel, and wrappedin or covered with woolen cloths, sawdust, or other bad conductors ofheat, to prevent it melting too fast. A dripping pan and pipe. shouldalso be provided to receive and discharge the Water WhichjioWs from themelting ice.

By the above-described mode of construction the articles to betransported can be first arranged Within the car and the ice then putin, and in cold weather the rack may be removed and its place occupiedby freight. To render the car dry as Well as cold, I place unslakedlime, or some other absorbent of moisture, in vessels in any convenientposition in the car. I- also, under some circumstances, use.refrigerating-mixtnres to. cool lthe car without the use of ice. Thismight be done by pipes arranged along the top ot' the carto receive themixture and let the warm air, which naturally rises, surround the pipes.In the present instance, however, I have shown globular vessels arrangedat eac-h end of the car and supplied with pipes G passing through thetop to receive a mixture of Glaubersalts and sulphurc acid, or someother mixture, which,4 by its rapid evaporation, will produce intensecold.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A refrigerator-car constructed substantially inthe manner described,for the purposeof transporting meats and other perishable articles. K

2. Lining anordinary box-car with tbrous ortextile non conductingmaterial, for the purpose set forth.

3. Converting an ordinary freight-car into a refrigerator by lining itwith successive sheets or layers of thick paper, substantially in themanner described.

4. The combination, substantially in the manner described, with abox-car, ot' removable sections or linings of non-conducting material,whereby'I can in a few moments convert an ordinary car into arefrigerator.

5. Lining 'a box-car with elastic non-con ducting material which willyield to the working of the car, oreven allow it to be broken Withoutrupturing the non-conducting envelope.

6. The arrangement, in arefrigerator-car,of v

both the articles to be kept cool and the ice or refrigerating apparatusinside the non-conducting envelope, whereby I protect the refrigeratingapparatus from the externalheat .without additional protection.

7. The arrangement, as described, of the hinged door in the lining withthe sliding door of f the car, whereby direct access can be had to therefrigeratirig-chamber.

8. The arrangement, as described, of removable ice racks with the liningsections nearest the doors, (or those in which the doors are placed,)whereby the ice is placed in last, and is thus more convenient of accessand space economized.

9. In combination with a refrigerator-car, a

removable ice-rack, which can be taken ont when notrequired and its roomoccupied by other things.

10. The arrangement, in a refrigerator-car, of a'ret'rigeratingapparatus to produce cold without using ice when desired.

11. rllhe arrangement, within a refrigerator@ In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subscribed lmy name.

L. G. KNIFFEN.

Witnesses:

WM. Se. BIGKFORD, S. BIcKFoRD.

